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Copyright 1927 

18p Albert ISfjttman & Company 




OTHER ILLUSTRATED 
“JUST RIGHT EDITIONS” 
OF CHILDREN’S CLASSICS 


King of the Golden River 
Dog of Flanders 
Little Lame Prince 
Man Without A Country 


“JUST RIGHT BOOK ’ ’ 
Printed in the United States 


©Cl A999956 





































































Jfull flagcs 

To See The Townsfolk Suffer So From Vermin Was A Pity 
And Bit The Babies In The Cradles 
They Fought The Dogs 
And Killed The Cats 

At Last The People In A Body To The Town Hall Came Flocking 

Made Nests Inside Men’s Sunday Hats 

“Come In!” The Mayor Cried Looking Bigger 

Into The Street The Piper Stept 

From Street To Street He Piped Advancing 

I Found The Weser Rolling O’er Me 

For Council Dinners Make Rare Havoc 

With Claret, Moselle, Vin-de-Grave, Hoch 

That Joyous Crowd At The Piper’s Back 

A Wondrous Portal Opened Wide 

On The Great Church-Windows Painted 









































































































I 

Hamelin Town’s in Brunswick, 

By famous Hanover city; 

The river Weser, deep and wide, 
Washes its wall on the southern side; 
A pleasanter spot you never spied; 

But, when begins my ditty, 

Almost five hundred years ago, 

To see the townsfolk suffer so 
From vermin, was a pity. 






II 

Rats! 

They fought the dogs and killed the cats, 
And bit the babies in the cradles, 

And ate the cheeses out of the vats, 

And licked the soup from the cooks’ 
own ladles, 












Split open the kegs of salted sprats, 
Made nests inside men’s Sunday hats, 
And even spoiled the women’s chats 
By drowning their speaking 
With shrieking and squeaking 
In fifty different sharps and flats. 









Ill 

At last the people in a body 

To the Town Hall came flocking: 
“’Tis clear,” cried they, “our Mayor’s 
a noddy; 

“And as for our Corporation—shocking 
“To thinkwe buy gowns lined with ermine 
“For dolts that can’t or won’t determine 
“What’s best to rid us of our vermin! 
“You hope, because you’re old and obese, 
“To find in the furry civic robe ease? 








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II 








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“Rouse up, sirs! Give your brains a rack¬ 
ing 

“To find the remedy we’re lacking, 

“Or, sure as fate, we’ll send you packing!” 
At this the Mayor and Corporation 
Quaked with mighty consternation. 



HP 









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IV 

An hour they sat in council, 

At length the Mayor broke silence: 
“For a guilder I’d my ermine gown sell, 
“I wish I were a mile hence! 

“It’s easy to bid one rack one’s brain— 
“I’m sure my poor head aches again, 
“I’ve scratched it so, and all in vain. 
“Oh for a trap, a trap a trap!” 

Just as he said this what should hap 
At the chamber door but a gentle tap? 







“Bless us,” cried the Mayor, “what’s that?” 
(With the Corporation as he sat, 
Looking little though wondrous fat; 

Nor brighter was his eye, nor moister 
Than a too-long-opened oyster, 

Save when at noon his paunch grew 
mutinous 

For a plate of turtle green and glutinous) 
“Only a scraping of shoes on the mat? 
“Anything like the sound of a rat 
“Makes my heart go pit-a-pat!” 










V 

“Come in!”—the Mayor cried looking 
bigger: 

And in did come the strangest figure! 

His queer long coat from heel to head 
Was half of yellow and half of red, 

And he himself was tall and thin, 

With sharp blue eyes, each like a pin, 
And light loose hair, yet swarthy skin, 
No tuft on cheek nor beard on chin, 

But lips where smiles went out and in; 
There was no guessing his kith and kin: 
And nobody could enough admire 
The tall man and his quaint attire. 







J 





























































































































Quoth one: “Its as my great-grandsire, 
“Starting up at the Trump of Doom’s 
tone, 

“Had walked this way from his painted 
tombstone! ” 








VI 

He advanced to the council-table: 

And, “Please your honours,” said he, 
“I’m able, 

“Bv means of a secret charm, to draw 
“All creatures living beneath the sun, 
“That creep or swim or fly or run, 
“After me so as you never saw! 








“And I chiefly use my charm 
“On creatures that do people harm, 

“The mole and toad and newt and viper; 
“And people call me the Pied Piper.” 











(And here they noticed round his neck 
A scarf of red and yellow stripe, 

To match with his coat of the self-same 
cheque; 

And at the scarf’s end hung a pipe; 
And his fingers, they noticed, were ever 
straying 

As if impatient to be playing 
Upon this pipe, as low it dangled 
Over his vesture so old-fangled.) 







“Yet,” said he, “poor piper as I am, 

“In Tartary I freed the Cham, 

“Last June, from his huge swarms of 
gnats; 

“I eased in Asia the Nizam 

“Of a monstrous brood of vampyre- 
bats: 

“And as for what your brain bewilders, 







“If I can rid your town of rats 
“Will you give me a thousand guilders?” 
“One? fifty thousand!”—-was the 
exclamation 

Of the astonished Mayor and Corpora¬ 
tion. 







VII 

Into the street the Piper stept, 
Smiling first a little smile, 

As if he knew what magic slept 
In his quiet pipe the while; 

















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Then, like a musical adept, 

To blow the pipe his lips he wrinkled, 

And green and blue his sharp eyes 
twinkled, 

Like a candle-flame where salt is 
sprinkled; 

And ere three shrill notes the pipe 
uttered, 

You heard as if an army muttered; 

And the murmuring grew to a grum¬ 
bling; 

And the grumbling grew to a mighty 
rumbling; 






And out of the houses the rats came 
tumbling. 

Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny 
rats, 

Brown rats, black rats, gray rats, tawny 
rats, 

Grave old plodders, gay young friskers, 
Fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins, 
Cocking tails and pricking whiskers, 
Families by tens and dozens, 

Brothers, sisters, husbands, wives— 
Followed the Piper for their lives. 

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From street to street he piped advancing, 
And step for step they followed dancing, 
Until they came to the river Weser, 
Wherein all plunged and perished! 

—Save one who, stout as Julius Caesar, 
Swam across and lived to carry 
(As he the manuscript he cherished) 

To Rat-land home his commentary: 
Which was, “At the first shrill notes of 
the pipe, 

“I heard a sound as of scraping tripe, 
“And putting apples, wondrous ripe, 

“Into a cider-press’s gripe: 































































































































“And a moving away of pickle-tub- 
boards, 

“And a leaving ajar of conserve-cup¬ 
boards, 

“And a drawing the corks of train-oil- 
flasks, 

“And a breaking the hoops of butter- 
casks: 

“And it seemed as if a voice 

(“Sweeter far than by harp or by 
psaltery 

“Is breathed) called out, ‘Oh rats, rejoice! 






‘“The world is grown to one vast 
drysaltery! 

‘“So munch on, crunch on, take your 
nuncheon, 

“‘Breakfast, supper, dinner, luncheon!’ 







“And just as a bulky sugar-puncheon, 

“All ready staved, like a great sun shone 
“Glorious scarce an inch before me, 

“Just as methought it said, ‘Come, bore 
me!’ 

“—I found the Weser rolling o’er me.” 
























































































































VIII 

You should have heard the Hamelin 
people 

Ringing the bells till they rocked the 
steeple. 

“Go,” cried the Mayor, “and get long 
poles, 

“Poke out the nests and block up the 
holes! 





“Consult with carpenters and builders, 
“And leave in our town not a trace 
“Of the rats!”—when suddenly, up the 
face 

Of the Piper perked in the market-place, 
With a, “First, if you please, my 
thousand guilders!” 









IX 

A thousand guilders! The mayor looked 
blue; 

So did the Corporation too. 

For council dinners made rare havoc 
With Claret, Moselle, Vin-de-Grave, 
Hock; 

And half the money would replenish 
Their cellar’s biggest butt with Rhenish. 







To pay this sum to a wandering fellow 
With a gypsy coat of red and yellow! 
“Beside,” quoth the Mayor with a know¬ 
ing wink, 

“Our business was done at the river’s 
brink; 

“We saw with our eyes the vermin sink, 
“And what’s dead can’t come to life, 

I think. 











































































































































































“So, friend, we’re not the folks to shrink 

“From the duty of giving you something 
for drink, 

“And a matter of money to put in 
your poke; 

“But as for the guilders, what we spoke 

“Of them, as you very well know, 
was a joke. 

“Beside, our losses have made us thrifty. 

“A thousand guilders! Come take fifty.” 







X 

The Piper’s face fell, and he cried 
“No trifling! I can’t wait, beside! 

“I’ve promised to visit by dinnertime 
“Bagdat, and accept the prime 
“Of the Head-Cook’s pottage, all he’s 
rich in, 

“For having left, in the Caliph’s kitchen, 
“Of a nest of scorpions no survivor: 







“With him I proved no bargain-driver, 
“With you, don’t think I’ll bate a stiver! 
“And folks who put me in a passion 
“May find me pipe after another 
fashion.” 







XI 

“How?” cried the Mayor, “d’ye think 
I brook 

“Being worse treated than a Cook? 
“Insulted by a lazy ribald 
“With idle pipe and vesture piebald? 
“You threaten us, fellow? Do your 
worst, 

“Blow your pipe there till you burst!” 






XII 

Once more he stept into the street 
And to his lips again 
Laid his long pipe of smooth straight 
cane; 

And ere he blew three notes (such sweet 

Soft notes as yet musician’s cunning 

Never gave the enraptured air) 

There was a rustling that seemed like a 
bustling 

Of merry crowds justling at pitching 
and hustling; 

Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes 
clattering, 







Little hands clapping and little tongues 
chattering 

And, like fowls in a barn-yard when bar¬ 
ley is scattering, 

Out came the children running. 

All the little boys and girls, 

With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls, 

And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls, 
Tripping and skipping, ran merrily after 
The wonderful music with shouting and 
laughter. 








XIII 

The Mayor was dumb, and the Council 
stood 

As if they were changed into blocks of 
wood, 

Unable to move a step, or cry 
To the children merrily skipping by, 

—Could only follow with the eye 
That joyous crowd at the Piper’s back. 







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But how the Mayor was on the rack, 
And the wretched Council’s bosoms 
beat, 

As the Piper turned from the High 
Street 

To where the Weser rolled its waters 
Right in the way of their sons and 
daughters! 









However he turned from South to West, 
And to Koppelberg Hill his steps 
addressed, 

And after him the children pressed; 

Great was the joy in every breast 







“He never can cross that mighty top! 
“He’s forced to let the piping drop, 

“And we shall see our children stop!” 
When, lo, as they reached the mountain¬ 
side, 

A wondrous portal opened wide, 

As if a cavern was suddenly hollowed; 




























































































And the Piper advanced and the children 
followed, 

And when all were in to the very last, 

The door in the mountain-side shut fast. 

Did I say all ? No! One was lame, 
And could not dance the whole of the 
way; 

And in after years if you would blame 
His sadness, he was used to say,—• 

“It’s dull in our town since my play¬ 
mates left! 






“I can’t forget that I’m bereft 
“Of all the pleasant sights they see, 
“Which the Piper also promised me. 
“For he led us, he said, to a joyous land, 
“Joining the town and just at hand, 
“Where water gushed and fruit-trees 
grew 

“And flowers put forth a fairer hue, 
“And everything was strange and new; 







“The sparrows were brighter than pea¬ 
cocks here, 

“And their dogs outran our fallow deer, 
“And honey-bees had lost their stings, 
“And horses were born with eagle’s 
wings: 

“And just as I became assured 
“My lame foot would be speedily cured, 
“The music stopped and I stood still, 
“And found myself outside the hill, 

“Left alone against my will, 

“To go now limping as before, 

“And never hear of that country more!” 






XIV 

Alas, alas for Hamelin! 

There came into many a burgher’s 
pate 

A text which says that heaven’s gate 
Opes to the rich at as easy rate 
As the needle’s eye takes a camel in! 








The Mayor sent East, West, North, and 
South, 

To offer the Piper, by word of mouth, 
Wherever it was men’s lot to find 
him, 

Silver and gold to his heart’s content, 

If he’d only return the way he went, 
And bring the children behind him. 
But when they saw ’twas a lost en¬ 
deavour, 

And Piper and dancers were gone for 


ever, 








They made a decree that lawyers never 
Should think their records dated duly 
If, after the day of the month and year, 
These words did not as well appear, 
“And so long after what happened here 
“On the Twenty-second of July, 
“Thirteen hundred and seventy-six:” 

And the better in memory to fix 
The place of the childrens last retreat, 
They called it, the Pied Piper’s Street— 








Where any one playing on pipe or tabor 

Was sure for the future to lose his 
labour. 

Nor suffered they hostelry or tavern 
To shock with mirth a street so 
solemn; 

But opposite the place of the cavern 
They wrote the story on a column, 

And on the great church window 
painted 

The same, to make the world 
acquainted 

How their children were stolen away, 

And there it stands to this very day. 




















































































And I must not omit to say 
That in Transylvania there’s a tribe 
Of alien people who ascribe 
The outlandish ways and dress 
On which their neighbours lay such 
stress, 

To their fathers and mothers having 
risen 

Out of some subterraneous prison 
Into which they were trepanned 
Long time ago in a mighty band 
Out of Hamelin town in Brunswick 
land, 

But how or why, they don’t understand. 






XV 

So, Willy, let me and you be wipers 

Of scores out with all men—especially 
pipers! 

And, whether they pipe us free from rats 
or from mice, 

If we’ve promised them aught, let us 
keep our promise! 




































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